While demolition robots can provide peace of mind for contractors and crew, there are several safety factors to consider to protect workers and maintain efficiency.

Demolition can be a dangerous job. Whether it’s road and bridge repair, interior demolition or other applications that require crews to dismantle existing construction, creating a culture of safety is vital for protecting workers and maintaining overall efficiency.

For some contractors, remote-controlled demolition machines have become an important part of that culture. These machines allow operators to stand a safe distance from active demolition, reducing the risk of injury from flying or falling debris. Additionally, demolition robots can operate in dangerous or extreme environments that would require special equipment and added risk for workers.  

While demolition robots can provide peace of mind for contractors and crews, like any machine, overall safety depends on operator diligence. Thorough training with equipment experts as well as frequent in-house reviews of safety procedures are necessary for keeping safety top of mind. Here are five simple safety tips operators should remember when using remote-controlled demolition equipment.

When it comes to the safe, efficient operation of remote-controlled demolition machines, these tips are the bare minimum. Working with equipment manufacturers for ongoing training is a great way to ensure new and experienced operators are provided the best equipment-specific training.

Industry-leading OEMs offer a number of training curricula (including on-site, hands-on options) making it easy to arrange learning opportunities for fluctuating crews. But perhaps the best way to keep crews safe and prevent problems is also one of the easiest—frequently reviewing safety protocols with team members and keeping eyes and ears open on the jobsite.

Jeff Keeling is the North American sales and marketing manager for Brokk Inc. He can be reached at jeff.keeling@brokkinc.com. 

Owners of Hotel Astoria in Duluth, Minnesota, want to dismantle the structure, but a public hearing shows some support for preservation.

Steps are being taken to demolish a hotel building in Duluth, Minnesota, that was believed to have been built more than 100 years ago, around 1910.

According to Duluth-based Fox21-TV, several people at a recent public meeting expressed hope the former Hotel Astoria could be preserved.

Last year, the current owners of the building cited “immense deterioration” in their application for a permit to demolish the former hotel. The owners also asked three tenants to leave and relocate at that time, according to Fox21.

“The owners say the building has been in decline for decades and that an estimated $2.4 million would be needed to restore it,” Fox21 says.

A different Duluth business owner speaking in favor of preserving the building asked the Duluth government to “slow down on this and really take a look on the historical vibe that’s going to be just gutted,” according to Fox21.

The report says the former hotel’s owners did not present a redevelopment plan for the parcel if the old structure is taken down. The debate and lack of a plan caused the city’s government to postpone a yes or no decision on the demolition process until after another hearing in July.

At more than 200 years old, the home’s demise will be debated by Historical Commission.

The Historical Commission of Worcester, Massachusetts, will soon meet to determine whether a mixed-use property that was built in either 1770 or 1815 should face a dismantling and demolition process.

According to This Week in Worcester, Worcester’s Historical Commission will consider the preservation versus demolition merits of the property at a meeting June 16.

According to the publication, the Massachusetts Historical Commission lists the building as a historic property on the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, with that listing saying the wood-framed structure was built in 1815. City of Worcester property records reportedly show, however, it could have been built in 1770.

The property on Lincoln Street has changed hands several times in the past two centuries, according to This Week in Worcester. It spent much of its time span as a farm house.

“The two-story mixed-use property is 7,300 square feet with 4,500 square feet of living space,” writes the media outlet, and it sits on 1.5 acres of land. It has most recently been assessed with a value of $565,700, according to This Week in Worcester.

Sal Mastriani, vice president of risk management at Interstate Waste Services, will serve as chair, and Bryan Fenster, Republic Service’s safety director, will serve as vice chair of the committee.

The Safety Committee of the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), Arlington, Virginia, has announced it has selected new leadership.

According to a news release from the NWRA, Sal Mastriani, vice president of risk management at Interstate Waste Services, Teaneck, New Jersey, will serve as chair, and Bryan Fenster, safety director of Republic Service, Phoenix, will serve as vice chair of the committee.

“NWRA and its member companies are committed to ensuring each employee return home safely at the end of his or her shift,” says Kirk Sander, NWRA chief of staff and vice president of safety and standards. “The Safety Committee helps to establish best practices to keep everyone in the waste and recycling industry safe. We thank Jeff Martin for his service and leadership as the previous chairperson and we look forward to working with Sal and Bryan in their new role.”

Mastriani and Fenster will serve until the next election at WasteExpo in the spring.

Overseas buyers remain cautious in their U.S. purchases, Davis Index reports.

Despite lower scale prices set in reaction to lower mill buying prices in the early May ferrous market, scrap has continued to flow into yards in the United States, with steady demolition activity among the contributors to a busy operating environment.

Processors in several regions in the U.S. tell Recycling Today much of their processing machinery is running full bore, despite the uncertainty of export demand and slightly tapering melt shop output at U.S. steel mills.

Steelmakers in the United States produced 0.9 percent less steel in the week ending June 4 compared with the prior week, according to the Washington-based American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

In addition to the week-to-week decline, the weekly output of 1.78 million tons represented a 3.2 percent drop from the 1.84 million tons produced a year ago in the week ending June 4, 2021.

Year-to-date figures compiled by AISI show production through June 4 stands at 38.87 million tons. That is down 1.6 percent from the 39.52 million tons made during the same period last year.

The early June domestic mill buying period seems to have reflected this partial lull, with Davis Index reporting U.S. markets having settled after that buying period down from $50 to $75 per ton, depending on the grade and region.

Davis Index says prompt grades fell in value some $75 per ton in the Chicago region. More commonly, they dropped by $50 or $55 per ton in other regions. No. 1 heavy melting steel (HMS) in Chicago, meanwhile, was “down [by] $55 per gross ton to $400 gross ton delivered,” Davis Index adds.

A relatively stagnant export market is not being helped by a continued lack of interest in U.S. scrap by Turkish buyers, combined with lower offers by potential buyers from Turkey.

“Demand for ferrous scrap remains sluggish following a lack of orders for Turkish steel products,” Davis Index reports June 10. Turkish mills were offering U.S. shippers from $400 to $410 per metric ton cost and freight (cfr) for blended No. 1 and No. 2 HMS shipments.

Tepid demand from other overseas buyers, including India, and from neighboring overland destination Mexico have combined to place downward price pressure on the ferrous market for about 60 days heading into the summer.

Just where the global economy—and global demand for steel—is headed has become a source of concern for executives in the recycling industry and beyond. The role of international trade in the ferrous scrap market was spelled out in late May at the World Recycling Convention hosted by the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) in Barcelona.